Colleges, universities slate King Day observances

St. Lawrence County colleges and universities will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and honor the life of the civil rights icon with music, movies, speakers and service.

While public schools and most government offices will close for the holiday, three schools  SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University  will begin their spring semester classes Monday.

At St. Lawrence University, a song service will mark the holiday, said university spokeswoman Macreena A. Doyle.

It is something we have been doing for the last six or seven years, she said.

At 5 p.m. in Gunnison Memorial Chapel, the service, open to the public, will begin with singing. University President William L. Fox will offer remarks. Vocal groups the Ad Hoc Singers, the Community Gospel Choir, the Laurentian Singers, the Singing Saints, the Singing Sinners and The UpBeats will perform.

SUNY Potsdam, on the other hand, will not formally observe the holiday Monday. Instead, campus and community members are encouraged to participate in a Day of Service on Jan. 26, said Sheila M. Marshall, director of SUNY Potsdams center for diversity.

It is such an important part of the legacy of Dr. King, she said. He promoted service throughout his life. I think it is such a participatory action for the students.

So far, the school has confirmed service sites at the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, the Massena Salvation Army, the Potsdam Animal Shelter and Helping Hands.

They are going to interact with people at the service site, Ms. Marshall said. They will come to know the purpose of the site, who they serve, so they contribute to the local community.

Participants and community members will convene at 6 p.m. in the Knowles Hall multipurpose room for a program in celebration of Mr. Kings legacy.

It kind of brings it full circle, Ms. Marshall said. Dr. King was so much about strengthening your community, empowering people, breaching barriers  a day of service does all of those things.

The program will include a performance by the Voices of Victory Gospel Choir and remarks by John D. Youngblood, professor of English and communications.

On Monday, Clarkson University will host discussions by Arthur Romano, a George Mason University conflict resolution expert.

At 3 p.m. in the Cheel Campus Center Cheel Commons, he will present Civility and Difference: Sustaining Conversations that Matter on Campus, which will focus on creating candid but respectful dialogue that addresses issues of difference. Mr. Romano will present Call to Conscience, which will discuss the lasting impact of Mr. Kings teachings, at 6 p.m. in the Student Center multipurpose rooms.

Clarkson also will present the annual diversity initiatives office Martin Luther King Jr. Award to former Dean of Students Kurt W. Stimeling at 5:30 p.m.

At SUNY Canton, the student activities office will screen the 2001 film Boycott, a 2001 retelling of the 1955-56 bus boycott Mr. King led in Montgomery, Ala. A copy of his 1963 I Have a Dream speech will be prominently displayed in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center.

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